City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney
November 13, 2014

The awkwardly public musical divorce going on within the Australian String Quartet led to a change of line-up for this, their final concert of 2014. The program informed us that “due to unforseen circumstances” violinists Kristian Winther and Ioana Tache are “unable to continue performing with the ASQ”. Given that the pair had been asked to leave the group several months ago, their absence here could hardly have been “unforseen”. Four players trying to make chamber music under those circumstances must surely have been an impossibility. As it was, we had a pair of distinguished ring-ins – Adam Chalabi, first violinist with the excellent Tinalley Quartet, and Graeme Jennings formerly of the Arditti.

From the outset it was clear that this would be something of a new approach. For those who have become used to the ASQ over the last year, the sound was immediately different. Gone was the edgy, vibrato-free approach in favour of a newfound romantic warmth. The result, less composerly revelations, more time in the chamber music comfort zone.

The program was a Romantic Mendelssohnian sandwich with some fresh Aussie meat in the middle. Fanny Mendelssohn came first, Felix’s older sister...